Amritsar: Cop with MC sent back to parent dept after parking fee row
After the allegations of illegal overcharging at the Guru Nanak Bhawan parking stand surfaced, the Additional Commissioner of Amritsar Municipal Corporation has initiated action by ordering the transfer of a police employee deployed with the civic body back to his parent department.
The action follows an inquiry into the functioning of the parking stand at Guru Nanak Bhawan, where alleged irregularities in parking fee collection had come to light. Reports had highlighted that visitors were allegedly being charged four times the approved parking fee.
According to the findings mentioned in the case file, the parking contractor’s father, who was posted with the municipal corporation as a police employee, was allegedly collecting parking charges in civil dress. Instead of the officially approved overnight parking fee of Rs 50, visitors were allegedly being charged Rs 200. It was also alleged that Rs 100 were charged for merely 15 minutes of parking.
On May 20, directions were issued for an action taken report and the official concerned was asked to vacate the position immediately. Acting on the recommendations, the Additional Commissioner signed the file and directed the security in-charge to relieve the employee and send him back to his parent cadre with immediate effect.
On April 24, The Tribune had highlighted the overcharging at parking lots, being operated by the municipal corporation at Machhi Mandi and Guru Nanak Bhawan in the city. Residents had complained that contractors had been asking for more parking fee against the approved rate list at key parking locations.
As per the MC’s approved rate list, the maximum parking fee for 24 hours for a car is Rs 50, while that for a bus is Rs 100. The bus parking is permitted only at Guru Nanak Bhawan and the Old Sabzi Mandi parking sites.
PC Sharma, complainant in the case, has expressed satisfaction over the action and demanded regular checking by the authorities with regard to overcharging at parking lots in the city.
